Carlo Quinonez, Ph.D. at UCSD had a need for a pneumatic manifold with a system of complex tubes inside for air pathways. This is a part of a programmable and scaleable controller for a micro fluidic testing apparatus. Having no other means of manufacturing this part Dr. Quinonez asked us to make this part using stereolithography technology.

After having been turned down by several other vendors Dr. Quinonez was happy to find someone with the confidence to take on this project.

Building this part without internal support was a technical challenge, and pushed the boundaries of digital manufacturing. 3D Proparts, our stereolithography partner, was willing to try building this according to our specifications. It worked out quite well. We hand finished the part with a polish finish so that you can clearly see the inner tubes and pathways. That is key Dr. Quinonez said so that operators can see how the pathways are routed.

Pictures below include the microfluidic testing station, manifold polished SLA part and cells passing through the fluidic circuit.